Within the deep Shadow Forest, a torch-lit procession wound its way forward, resembling a long, coiling serpent.

The leaders of the procession were the most unlikely assortment of companions: a frail-looking, white-bearded old man; a girl with a youthful face; a handsome young man on a tall horse; and a ridiculously burly Panda People and Beastman.

"I thought it was just the environment that had changed; I never expected the temperature in here would be like spring." The Lord was wearing only a thin, short-sleeved linen shirt.

The temperature inside the Shadow Forest was much higher than he’d expected, so he had instinctively taken off his outer coat and draped it over his horse’s back.

"It’s true. Many of the Warriors are struggling with the sudden, drastic change in temperature." Masha had already removed her Clergy robes, revealing the tight Leather Armor and breeches she wore underneath, which clearly outlined her figure.

As the only woman in the procession, she naturally drew the occasional glance from the virile soldiers of the Thorn Corps.

The Barbarian and the Panda People, however, wouldn’t deign to give her a second look. In their eyes, only women with broad backs and thick waists were beautiful; someone as bony as Masha was frightfully ugly.

"Only Magic could alter the climate of an entire region. This forest has definitely been placed under an extremely powerful spell," Fu Jin, the Caster, offered his opinion.

"And there’s a very interesting detail: my Snowbird can’t ascend into the sky. As soon as it reaches the canopy of this forest, it hits an invisible wall that prevents it from flying any higher."

As he finished speaking, Fu Jin’s pupils, which had turned completely white, reverted to their normal golden color.

"This means that without a familiar guide, anyone could become lost in this forest," Fu Jin said, worried. "And we have no idea how vast this forest truly is."

"But don’t we have Knight Si Kai? He’s a regular here, isn’t he? He often travels to and from the Elf Tribe within," Levi said, patting the shoulder of the middle-aged Knight riding beside him.

"Am I right, Si Kai?" the Lord asked, a wide grin on his face.

"Ahem... Lord, while I’m touched by your confidence in me, I have to be honest. In the past, whenever I led a caravan to the edge of the Shadow Forest, I just had to give the agreed-upon password, and the Tree-man Race would guide us through," Si Kai said, a little embarrassed. "In other words... I can’t be one hundred percent certain I can find the correct route."

"What the hell, why didn’t you say so earlier!"

The Lord was speechless.

’And here I was, finally putting so much faith in him.’

"Still, I’m the only one in our little group who’s ever passed through the Shadow Forest, so the job of guiding falls to me," Si Kai said, blinking innocently.

It was too late to change course now; he’d just have to make do. The Lord sighed in resignation.

The men shot the breeze as they rode, but their minds remained taut, their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any enemies hiding behind the massive trees.

"Something’s up!"

Suddenly, the little old man Fu Jin spoke, his face tense.

"Through my Snowbird, I’ve spotted a large number of bodies about a hundred paces ahead!"

Levi gave a hand signal. A chain of runners relayed the command with flags, and the advancing column immediately halted, waiting quietly for the next order.

As commander of the Vanguard Army, the thousand-strong detachment of Thorn Corps infantry was also temporarily under his command.

A massive fallen tree blocked their line of sight. Levi pointed toward it with his riding crop.

"Zat, take ten men and check it out."

Zat, who wore a Horned Helmet, waved an arm, and ten fully-armed Beastman Barbarians followed him, cautiously moving forward.

"All clear, Boss." Soon after, Zat waved his hand to give the signal.

Urging his horse forward, the Lord stood on the ridge and looked down at the corpses in the hollow below, his brow furrowed.

The hollow was densely packed with the corpses of all kinds of Wilderness People: Bear Goblins, Lizardmen, Pigmen...

Most of them had their chests caved in. Others had been ensnared by vines, their ashen faces clear evidence they had been strangled to death.

This had been the site of a slaughterous ambush, one that had claimed the lives of these Wilderness People for good.

"This is Tree Magic, from the Tree-man Race. They can control roots and vines at will, using them as weapons," Si Kai concluded after a single glance.

This was but a small interlude, however. The column soon detoured around the pile of corpses and continued on its way.

As they continued, more and more bodies came into view. Most were riddled with arrows or had been struck by some heavy object, their bodies crushed.

The good news was that the bodies proved they were on the right path.

The bad news was that while they had only seen the corpses of Wilderness People, they hadn’t seen a single dead Elf or Tree-man.

This was strange. If the Elf Race had the upper hand, it would be normal for them to have the energy to collect their comrades’ bodies. But they were supposed to be on the losing side.

Logically, they shouldn’t have had the spare energy to collect the bodies of their fallen kinsmen.

SNAP~

Suddenly, a nearly inaudible sound came from behind a nearby tree.

No one seemed to notice. Or perhaps, the crackling of the torches was enough to mask the faint noise.

Levi lightly kicked the back of Zat, who was leading his horse by the reins. The dolt turned his head, a look of confusion on his face.

The Lord gave him a meaningful look, and Zat immediately understood. He slowed his pace and melted back into the crowd.

Don’t be fooled by the dolt’s usual incompetence; he’d been with the Lord longer than anyone.

If the Lord so much as farted, Zat could probably guess what he’d eaten and would, against all conscience, praise the bouquet. He had truly perfected the art of being the Lord’s number one sycophant.

Up ahead, Panda also turned his head. He and Levi exchanged a look, and everything was understood.

"Capture ’em alive for me!"

Soon, the sounds of a scuffle, punctuated by Zat’s furious roar, erupted from the rear left of the column.

This caused a brief commotion throughout the column, but it quickly subsided.

"What the—"

Si Kai and the others turned their heads, their faces full of confusion.

The Lord simply nodded with a smile, affecting the humble air of one who had everything under control. "Just a few rats. I wonder how long they’ve been tailing us."

Faced with their looks of dawning realization and admiration, the Lord felt a secret thrill, as satisfying as a cool treat in the summer heat.

"Boss, it’s a few Elves!"

Before long, Zat and several Beastman Guards returned, forcing several blond-haired Elves in Leather Armor to walk before them.

"Let me go! You vile invaders!"

The lead Elf was held in Zat’s iron grip. His struggles were futile, so all he could do was shout in rage.

"Are these Zor Elves?" the Lord asked, a bit uncertain.

But after getting a clear look at the Elf’s face, Si Kai, who was standing to the side, cried out in shock.

"..."